Sheet separating apparatus



Aug. 7, 1962 R. J. FURR ETAL 3,048,393

SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ROBERT URR EMIL M. HRACH ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 1962 R. J. FURR ETAL 3,048,393

SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 QJ FI 5 6 6 42 v Aug. 7, 1962 R. J. FURR ETAL SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 Unite States This invention relates to sheet separating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for receiving a succession of random sized sheets in partly overlapping relation and separating and delivering successive separated sheets. This separating apparatus is adapted to receive sheets from sheet feeding apparatus such as, for example, that disclosed in the co-pending patent application of J. A. Weidenhammer et al., Serial No. 783,881, filed December 30, 1958, now U.S. Patent No. 3,012,775.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide high speed apparatus for reliably separating sheets from a partially overlapping supply thereof and for delivering the sheets singly and in succession without damaging the sheets.

In the provision of apparatus for automating accounting procedures in the banking industry, there arises the need for apparatus capable of separating a succession of bank checks. The checks involved are issued by numerous banks and are printed on sheets of various sizes, i.e., various lengths, widths and thicknesses, and on sheeets formed of various paper stocks having various thickness, hardness, and surface finish. For example, the

bank checks may be printed on papers ranging from punched card paper to light weight printing stock, and from extremely hard papers to relatively soft papers having merely a glazed or hard surface. Thus, the apparatus must be able to handle sheets of various sizes, thicknesses and finishes. Furthermore, it is necessary that the apparatus be able to handle sheets which have been creased or crumpled when such sheets are included in a succession of smooth uncreased sheets.

It will be evident that high speed reliable separation of sheets such as bank checks, requires the application of substantial pressures on the sheets as they are separated. This is particularly true when the sheets being separated are of random sizes, thicknesses and types of paper and high speed reliable separation is required. It has been found that such apparatus may damage papers having relatively soft interior bodies and hardened or glazed surfaces, or papers having frayed or partially laminated edges.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus capable of separating random sized sheets of hard or strong and soft or weak papers at high rates of speed without damage to the papers.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the trace 2-2, shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on the trace 3--3, in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the trace 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary showing of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2, and,

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on the trace 66, shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is indicated generally at 1% apparatus for delivering a succession of sheets in at least partially overlapping relation. This apparatus has been fully described in the above mentioned Weidenhammer patent application and will be described only briefly herein.

In FIGURE 1, there is indicated generally at 12, separating apparatus embodying the present invention, which will be fully described hereinafter.

In FIGURE 1, there is indicated by the arrow 14-, the direction toward which separated successive sheets are fed for receipt by subsequent apparatus.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is mounted on a vertically extending base plate 16. The apparatus indicated generally at 10, in FIGURE 1, for feeding a succession or" checks in overlapping relation, includes a high friction flexible belt 22 passing over a pair of pulleys 23 and 24. The pulley 23 is mounted on and driven by a shaft 25, shown in FIGURE 3, and hereinafter described. The pulley 24 is rotatably mounted on the left hand end of an arm 26.

The right hand end of the arm 25 is pivotally mounted at 27 on a'bracket 28 affixed to the base plate 16. This arrangement permits the belt 22 passing around the pul ley 24 to rest upon the uppermost sheet of a stack 20 which is supported by a suitable plate 18, and, with the belt 22 driven in the direction indicated by the arrow 29, successive sheets are fed from the stack thereof to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1.

A guide plate 30 is positioned generally to the left of the belt 22 as viewed in FIGURE 1 and is supported from the base plate 16 by means of a support assembly 32. The plate 30 extends horizontally and perpendicular to the plate 16 serving as an upper guide preventing sheets from rising upwardly as they are fed.

A guide plate 34 is supported from the base plate 16 by bracket means, not shown in the drawing, and extends vertically and perpendicular to the plate 16. The upper end of the plate 34 is curved to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1 and provides a guide or abutment above which sheets from the stack 20 must pass as they are fed to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1 by action of the belt 22.

The sheet separating apparatus indicated generally at 12 in FIGURE 1, includes a pair of co-acting endless belts and 42. The belt 40 passes over pulleys 43 and 44. The pulley 43 is affixed to and driven by a shaft 45 passing through the plate 16 and driven as will be hereinafter described. The pulley 44- is an idler pulley mounted on a shaft 46 aflixed to the base plate 16.

The belt 42 passes over and is driven by a pulley .8 atiixed to a shaft 4?, shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and hereinafter described. The belt 42 passes over idler pulleys 5t 51, and 52. The pulleys 50 and 51 serve to position a portion of the belt 42, as indicated generally by the arrow 42', in a wrapped around relation with the portion of the belt 40 passing around the pulley 43. A take-up pulley 53 for the belt 42 is mounted on an arm 54 pivotally supported on the shaft 49 and urged in clockwise rotation therearound by means of a spring 55. Pulley 53 and an idler pulley 55 positioned approximately diametrically across the pulley 48 from the pulley 53, serve to properly tension the belt 42 and to wrap the belt 42 around a suflicient circumference of the pulley 48 to provide for effective driving of the belt 42 by the pulley 48. The belt 42 is driven in the opposite direction from the direction of the drive of the belt 40, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow 56.

A guide plate 60 is affixed to the base plate 16 by means of brackets 61 and 62. The guide plate 60 extends to the left of the belt 42, as viewed in FIGURE 1, as an uninterrupted plate. However, the right hand end portion of plate 60 is cut and provides a leg extending on each side of the belt 42 as shown at 64 and 65 in FIGURE 2.

A guide plate 66 is positioned above the plate 60 and to the left of the belt 40 as viewed in FIGURE 1. The plate 66 is mounted by means of a bracket '67 affixed to the end of the shaft 46 and has its right hand end portion 68, as viewed in FIGURE 1, formed to extend beside and turned upwardly of the belt 40.

Thus, the guide plates 60 and 66 are formed and positioned to receive therebetween sheets delivered by the separator belts 40 and 42.

Driving mechanism for the apparatus thus far described is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. A shaft bearing bracket 70 is supported by the base plate 16 and rotatably mounts the shaft 45. Rotatably mounted in the bracket 76 in axial alignment with the shaft 45 is a shaft 71 mounting, on its right hand end as viewed in FIGURE 2, a pulley 72 which is driven by means of a belt 73 from a conventional motor drive not shown in the drawings.

A solenoid clutch 74 of conventional design has its housing portion 75 keyed to the shaft 71 and its plate portion 76 afiixed to a hub 77 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 45. A second solenoid clutch 78 of conventional design has its plate portion 80 aflixed to the hub 77 and rotatably mounted on the shaft 45. The housing portion 79 of the clutch 78 is keyed to the shaft 45.

The hub 77 is formed with an external gear 82 over which there is passed a gear belt 83 which also passes over a gear pulley 84 rotatably mounted on a shaft 86 carried by bearings in a boss 87 supported by the shaft bearing bracket 70. The belt '83 also passes over an idler gear 88, shown in FIGURE 3, rotatably mounted on a shaft 89 supported by means of a bracket 90, aflixed to the base plate 16 by means of bolts 91. The belt 83 also passes over a gear 92 afiixed to the shaft 25 as shown in FIGURE 3.

In the arrangement thus far described, belt 73 drives the pulley 72 and the shaft 71 and, when the clutch 74 is energized, drives the hub 77 which in turn drives the belt 83 serving to drive the pulley 23, shown in FIGURE 1, to advance sheets from the top of the stack thereof. The sheets are advanced to the left as shown in FIGURE 1 with the uppermost sheet entering over the belt 42 and under the belt 40, as the belts come together, as indicated generally at 42' in FIGURE 1.

The gear 84 carries a relatively small diameter pulley hub 94 integral therewith, over which there is passed a belt 96. A pulley 97 of larger diameter with respect to the pulley 94 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 89' and is 6 driven by the belt 96. The pulley 97 carries a relatively small diameter hub pulley 98 integral therewith over which there is passed a belt 99 which drives a pulley 100 affixed to the right hand end of the shaft 86 as viewed in FIG- URE 2. A pulley 102 of small diameter compared to the pulley 100 is afiixed to the left hand end of the shaft 86 as viewed in FIGURE 2 and drives a belt 104 which passes over and drives a relatively large pulley 106 affixed to the shaft 49. Thus, the belt 42 is driven by the pulley 48 rotating at a greatly reduced rate of speed from that of the gear 82 rotatably mounted on the shaft 45.

The solenoid clutch 78 has its plate as previously noted, affixed to the hub 77, and has its housing 79- keyed to the shaft 45, thus, when the clutch 78 is energized, the pulley 43 driving the belt 40, is driven at the speed of rotation of the hub 77. From the foregoing, it will be evident that the belt 40 is advanced in the direction as indicated by the arrow 47 in FIGURE 1 at a relatively high rate of speed whereas the belt 42 is rotated in the opposite direction, i.e., the direction indicated by the arrow 56 in FIGURE 1, at a relatively low rate of speed.

Accordingly, as sheets from the stack 20 are advanced to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1 in overlapping relation by the belt 22, the left hand end portions of the sheets pass over the upper end of the guide plate 34, and over the belt 42. As the sheets are moved further to the left, the uppermost sheet ultimately engages the belt 40. It will be recalled that belt 40' is traveling at a high rate of speed, whereas the belt 42 is traveling at a relatively low rate of speed and thus the action of the belt 40 predominates and sheets are carried to the left thereby and delivered to the space between the guide plates 60 and 66.

The action of the belt 22 will be to advance a plurality of sheets in overlapping relation. When the left hand end portions of a plurality of sheets engage the belt 42, the sheets will be urged to the right by the motion of the belt 42 and generally only the uppermost sheet will be advanced to the left against the restraining action of the belt 42 by the driving action of the belt 22.

If this restraining action is insuflicient and more than one sheet enters between the belts 40 and 42, the belt 40 will advance only the uppermost sheet whereas the belt 42 will serve to prevent advance of all sheets below the uppermost sheet.

It will be noted, from viewing FIGURE 1, that the restraining belt 42 in the vicinity indicated by the arrow 42' is in a position slightly inclined from the direction of advance of the sheets from the stack 20 thus the positioning of belt 42 tends to increase the fanning or shingling of the sheets as they are fed from the stack by the belt 22.

As has been previously noted, the restraining belt 42 wraps around a portion of the driving belt 40 and this portion of belt 40 is the portion first engaged by sheets being advanced by the belt 26. This wrapping serves not only to insure an extended area of contact by the two belts with sheets to be separated, but also serves to bend or flex sheets being fed. This bending aids in separating sheets which may be sticking together.

When the uppermost sheet is engaged by the belt 40, the belt is approaching the sheet in curved form and thus engages the sheet quickly and in a positive fashion upon its first engagement therewith, thus serving to rapidly accelerate the sheet and to minimize slippage between the belt 40 and the sheet. As previously described, while the uppermost sheet is being advanced by the belt 40, any sheets positioned thereunder are being moved baokwardly by the rearwardly moving belt 42.

The reverse motion of the belt 42 is provided not only to improve the separating action but also to present a changing surface for engagement by the rapidly moving belt 40, thus, wear resulting from contact between the two belts is distributed over the entire surface of the belt 42 which is a relatively long belt carried over a remote idler pulley 52 which provides the necessary length of path for the belt.

If smooth surfaced belts are employed in this apparatus, highly effective separation is obtained particularly if sufficient belt speeds are employed and if the belt 40 is made of softer rubber or has a higher coeflicient of friction with respect to the paper than the belt 42. Such belts, however, have a tendency to damage papers and particularly to damage papers formed of soft stock having hard or glazed surfaces or papers which are relatively soft and have frayed or partially laminated leading edges.

The damage apparently results from a peeling or a stripping back of an outer surface of the paper produced as a result of the restraining action of the rearwardly moving belt 42 on the leading edge of the sheet.

In order to overcome this condition and still provide extremely high speed and reliable separation of sheets, the advancing belt 4'5 is formed with transversely extending surface discontinuities which may, for example, be in the form of projections 39 extending normal to the edges of the belt as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4. This formation minimizes the possibility of the leading edge of the sheet being grasped by the friction surfaces of the two belts, and, more particularly, even if a leading edge should be grasped resulting in damage to the edge of the paper, the discontinuities in the surface of the belt will interrupt any peeling back of the leading edge of the paper which may occur and thus any damage done to the paper is done only to a relatively small edge portion of the paper.

Even this small degree of damage can be eliminated if the restraining belt 42 is provided with surface discontinuities. These discontinuities may, for example, be in the form of spaced grooves 41 which are diagonally extending and formed in criss-crossing arrangement as best shown in FIGURE 5. The spacings between the grooves 41 when viewed in a direction extending longitudinally of the belt are roughly one-half the spacings of the projections 39 on the belt 40. By way of example, if the apparatus is designed for separation of sheets such as bank checks, the projections 39 may be spaced apart approximately one-quarter of an inch and extend above the surface of the belt approximately one-eighth of an inch, and the grooves in the belt 42 may be spaced apart approximately one-tenth of an inch and be cut approximately .03 inch wide and .04 inch deep. While the invention is not limited by dimensions such as set forth in this example, these dimensions have been satisfactorily employed in apparatus for separating and feeding random sized bank checks to a rate of approximately 750 linear feet per minute.

It will be evident that the apparatus described provides for the high speed feeding and separation of sheets from a succession thereof and for accomplishing this separation with reliability and without damage to softer or weaker paper stocks of the type occasionally employed in the printing of bank checks. It will be evident that the discontinuities described in connection with the driving and restraining belts shown in the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein can be variously altered.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Sheet separating apparatus comprising a first moving endless belt passing over a pulley for engaging one side of each of a succession of sheets and advancing the sheets, and a second endless belt moving oppositely to the direction of motion of said first belt for engaging the other side of each of a succession of sheets being advanced by said first belt and restraining advancement thereof, whereby the one of two adjacent sheets positioned between said first belt and said second belt engaging said first belt will be advanced and the other sheet will be restrained from advancing until said one sheet has been advanced therefrom, said second belt extending around and cooperating along an obtuse angle with an extended portion of the length of said first belt passing over said pulley, said belts having surface discontinuities spaced therealong.

2. Sheet separating apparatus comprising a first moving endless belt passing over' a pulley for engaging one side of each of a succession of sheets and advancing the sheets, and a second endless belt moving oppositely to the direction of motion of said first belt for engaging the other side of each of a succession of sheets being advanced by said first belt and restraining advancement thereof, whereby the one of two adjacent sheets positioned between said first belt and said second belt engaging said first belt will be advanced and the other sheet will be restrained from advancing until said one sheet has been advanced therefrom, said second belt extending around and cooperating along an obtuse angle with an extended portion of the length of said first belt passing over said pulley, one of said belts having carrying spaced projections and the other of said belts being grooved.

3. Sheet separating apparatus comprising a first moving endless belt passing over a pulley for engaging one side of each of a succession of sheets and advancing the sheets, and a second endless belt moving oppositely to the direction of motion of said first belt for engaging the other side of each of a succession of sheets being advanced by said first belt and restraining advancement thereof, whereby the one of two adjacent sheets positioned between said first belt and said second belt engaging said first belt will be advanced and the other sheet will be restrained from advancing until said one sheet has been advanced therefrom, said second belt extending around and cooperating along an obtuse angle with an extended portion of the length of said first belt passing over said pulley, said first belt having transversely extending projections spaced therealong substantially normal to the edges thereof and said second belt having diagonally extending grooves spaced therealong, said grooves being more closely spaced than said projections.

4. Sheet feeding and separating means comprising means for feeding a succession of sheets in partially overlapping relation from the top of a stack thereof, means forming a surface inclined to the direction of feed of said sheets over which said succession of partially overlapping sheets is fed by said feeding means, means for moving said surface forming means in the direction opposite to the direction of feed of said sheets, and a feed belt positioned adjacent to said inclined surface for engaging the uppermost of a succession of overlapping sheets being fed over said inclined surface and for advancing the uppermost sheet past said surface, whereby said sheets are separated by both flexure and relative movement for advance singly.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said inclined surface and said advancing means are each formed with a discontinuous surface for engaging sheets.

6. Sheet feeding and separating means comprising means for feeding a succession of sheets in partially overlapping relation from the top of a stack thereof, means forming a surface with a plurality of successively steeper surfaces inclined in the direction of feed of said sheets over which said succession of partially overlapping sheets is fed by' said feeding means, means for moving said surface forming means in the direction opposite to the direction of feed of said sheets, and means adjacent to said inclined surface for engaging the uppermost of a succession of overlapping sheets being fed over said inclined surface and for advancing the uppermost sheet past said surface.

7. Sheet feeding and separating means of the kind set forth in claim 6 wherein said advancing means is in engagement with an inclined section of said surface forming means.

8. Sheet feeding and separating means of the kind set forth in claim 7 wherein the initial contact by said advancing means with the uppermost sheet takes place at a position substantially coincident with a break in the incline formation between one incline section of said oppositely moving means and the next steeper incline section of said oppositely moving means.

nected in a fashion to operate said advancing means at a faster rate than the rate of operation of the opposing inclined surface means, whereby sheets stuck together are separated by both fiexure and relative motion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,476 Osborn July 10, 1906 8 Rees et a l. Jan. 25, 1916 Jones Jan. 30, 1917 Finfrock July 12,, 1932 Hiller Apr. 17, 1934 Zahn Jan. 4, 1938 Burckhart J an. 25, 1944 Novick Dec. 19, 1944 Tyler Feb. 5, 1946 Lubersky July 17, 1956 Herrick et a1. May 10, 1960 

